US6733113B2ExpiredUtilityPatentIndex 91

Ink-jet recording method and ink-jet recording apparatus

Assignee: KONISHIROKU PHOTO INDPriority: Mar 30, 2001Filed: Mar 26, 2002Granted: May 11, 2004

Est. expiryMar 30, 2021(expired)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:YOSHIZAWA TOMOMI KAWASHIMA YASUHIKO IIJIMA HIROTAKA OHKUBO KENICHI

B41J 2/0458B41J 2/04581B41J 2202/10

PatentIndex Score

Cited by

References

Claims

Abstract

An ink-jet recording method of forming an image with an ink-jet head, wherein the ink-jet head includes an ink chamber, an electric actuator provided in the ink chamber and an insulating layer covering the electric actuator, including steps of: feeding an ink containing a coloring material and a water-soluble solvent into ink chamber, and applying a driving voltage with a driving frequency of 10 kHz to 55 kHz onto the electric actuator so that the ink is jetted from the ink chamber so as to form the image; wherein the thickness of the insulating layer is 0.1 μm to 10 μm, and the concentration of oxygen dissolved in the ink is 4 ppm or less.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is:

1. An ink-jet recording method of forming an image with an ink-jet head, wherein the ink-jet head comprises an ink chamber, an electrode and an insulating layer for insulating the electrode from ink by covering the electrode, comprising steps of:
feeding ink containing a coloring material and a water-soluble solvent into the ink chamber; and
applying a driving voltage with a driving frequency of 10 kHz to 55 kHz onto the electrode so that ink is jetted from the ink chamber so as to form the image;
wherein the thickness of the insulating layer is 0.1 μm to 10 μm and the concentration of oxygen dissolved in ink is 4 ppm or less.

2. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the ink chamber contains a piezo element.

3. The ink-jet recording method of claim 2 , wherein the electrode is provided on the piezo element.

4. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein pH of said ink is 7 or more.

5. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein said coloring material is a pigment.

6. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the sum of a concentration of sulfate ion, chloride ion and nitrate ion in said ink is 500 ppm or less.

7. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the sum of a concentration of sodium ion and potassium ion in said ink is 500 ppm or less.

8. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein said driving frequency is 20 kHz or more.

9. The ink-jet recording method of claim 8 , wherein said driving frequency is 30 kHz or more.

10. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein a surface tension of said ink is from 31 to 39 mN/m.

11. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the dissolved oxygen in said ink is 2 ppm or less.

12. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the concentration of the dissolved oxygen in said ink is 0.01 ppm or more.

13. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the thickness of said insulating layer is from 0.1 to 5 μm.

14. The ink-jet recording method of claim 13 , wherein the concentration of the dissolved oxygen in said ink is 2 ppm or less.

15. The ink-jet recording method of claim 1 , wherein the electrode is provided in the ink chamber.

16. An ink-jet recording apparatus for forming an image, comprising:
an ink-jet head containing an ink chamber, an electrode, and an insulating layer for insulating the electrode from ink by covering the electrode, wherein the thickness of the insulating layer is 0.1 μm to 10 μm:
a driving section to apply a driving voltage onto the electrode with a driving frequency of 10 kHz to 55 kHz so that ink is jetted from the ink chamber so as to form the image; and
an ink feeding section to feed the ink containing a coloring material and a water-soluble solvent into the ink chamber, wherein the concentration of oxygen dissolved in ink is 4 ppm or less.

17. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the ink chamber contains a piezo element.

18. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein pH of said ink is 7 or more.

19. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said coloring material is a pigment.

20. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sum of a concentration of sulfate ion, chloride ion and nitrate ion in said ink is 500 ppm or less.

21. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the sum of a concentration of sodium ion and potassium ion in said ink is 500 ppm or less.

22. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein said driving frequency is 20 kHz or more.

23. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 22 , wherein said driving frequency is 30 kHz or more.

24. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein a surface tension of said ink is from 31 to 39 mN/m.

25. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the concentration of the dissolved oxygen in said ink is 2 ppm or less.

26. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the concentration of the dissolved oxygen of said ink is 0.01 ppm or more.

27. The ink-jet recording apparatus of claim 16 , wherein the thickness of said insulating layer is from 0.1 to 5 μm.

Cited by (0)

No later patents cite this yet.

References (0)

No backward citations on record.